A conversation about moral courage

Last week, i was on Morning Air to discuss moral courage, which has been on my mind as of late. You can hear the conversation here, starting around 19:45.

Moral courage is the ability to stand up for what you believe in through words and action, in the face of great opposition. Christians must demonstrate moral courage in every part of the globe; in some places, just going to Mass is an act of moral courage.

Here in America, we know that a certain number of our fellow Americans - by their own self-reporting - believe that violence is the correct response to disagreement. Unfortunately, that is where we are in this country. That means that standing up for what you believe in becomes all that more scary.

One interesting question John asked me was how listeners could demonstrate moral courage. The answer basically is to just do it, even when you are aware of the consequences. But my response was to think about those around you who you have seen demonstrate moral courage. Your priest who gives an honest homily on a social issue, the family member who stands up for what is right for the children in the family, instead of trying to be their friend or not hurt their feelings. And of course, learn by the example of the saints, especially martyrs, while not necessarily wishing for martyrdom yourself. That might be a bit of spiritual arrogance.

Every age since Christ’s time has required moral courage, so we are not that special. Nonetheless, it’s a tough thing to do, because generally we want to just get along, eh? But really, maybe the first step for each of us is just to talk. Since as a culture we seem to have lost the ability to disagree civilly, the first way to demonstrate moral courage is to simply talk with others: about your beliefs, about the truth about God, the meaning of life, the reality of objective morality, and that we are all intended for more. And meanwhile, we can pray to the Holy Spirit to help us speak the truth, courageously, and with love.